Another rider Gone

Seems to me Diplomatic Immunity should only apply if the person was convicted of a crime. Once applied the person would be sent back to their country and banned for life from re-entering. Being investigated isn't a crime. If the US State department decides to revoke her immunity (why did she have it in the first place since her husband was the diplomat) they can do so and they can complete their investigation and bring any charges. Seems to me if you are driving in a foreign country, you agree to abide by their rules of the road, break their rules you should face their consequences.

atomsplitter said:

Seems to me Diplomatic Immunity should only apply if the person was convicted of a crime. Once applied the person would be sent back to their country and banned for life from re-entering. Being investigated isn't a crime. If the US State department decides to revoke her immunity (why did she have it in the first place since her husband was the diplomat) they can do so and they can complete their investigation and bring any charges. Seems to me if you are driving in a foreign country, you agree to abide by their rules of the road, break their rules you should face their consequences.

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In the real world that's how it should be. We live in clown world.

What happens now related to the family of the deceased? Can they sue? Who? The system???

Screwed up for sure!

Diplomatic Immunity was codified in 1961 at the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations for a host of reasons. Among the reasons was to have an international standard in order that diplomacy be unencumbered by local authorities having legal authority over diplomats, leading to abuse and possible hostilities. It was also done to ensure diplomats not be abused by host governments during times of hostility. Of interest, Great Britain was one of the first counties to codify it in the early 1700s but the practice goes back centuries.

While it was almost universally practiced, it was not observed uniformly. For instance, after the Pearl Harbor attack, our diplomats were confined to our embassy in Tokyo and not allowed to leave the country; essentially being held captive until repatriated some time in 1942. We allowed the Japanese ambassador and his staff to return to Japan.

Diplomatic immunity is critical to the exercise of diplomacy but sadly many times abused, especially by UN employees in New York.

Excuse me. My BA was in International Relations-Soviet Studies and I sometimes it comes back. I am not trying to be tutorial.

In spite of the above, I still believe it was an extremely bad move to allow this gal to exercise diplomatic immunity and depart the country. At the most she would have been expelled after the police inquiry.

The plot thickens. The woman's husband might not have been in a diplomatic status, with the British Foreign Secretary appealing to the US Ambassador and our Secretary of State to allow her to be returned.

Navigator said:

The plot thickens. The woman's husband might not have been in a diplomatic status with the British Foreign Secretary appealing to the US Ambassador and our Secretary of State to allow her to be returned.

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Good. And thank you for the history.

Amazing how some folks are so ready to be judge, jury, and execution with little information, and living in a glass house.

Seek first to understand.

Joesmoe said:

Amazing how some folks are so ready to be judge, jury, and execution with little information, and living in a glass house.

Seek first to understand.

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I've watched judge dread several times. I know what I'm doing

Joesmoe said:

Amazing how some folks are so ready to be judge, jury, and execution with little information, and living in a glass house.

Seek first to understand.

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drives on wrong side of the road
causes a fatal crash/accident
Sneaks out of the country?? yes Paul it is a hard one to judge.
We all know she would not be taken to jail, we all know she did not do it on purpose but the fact that she lied then fled the country without even a sorry to the young mans parents that is what has everyone fuming and this immunity **** please, all she has to do is fly back and face the music as said she will get her hand slapped and kicked out of the country with no chance of ever returning.
The UK authorities should consider making all Americans or any foreigners take a driving test if they come from a country who drives on the wrong side of the road.
Also whoever is in charge of the base needs a good kick up the arse also or maybe just bust him down to private for he handled this whole situation terribly

I feel sorry for her kids -if the Mother has no honour what kind of upbringing will the kids have?
All she has to do is fly back and face the music she would be a lot more repected-in my books anyhoo